Neil McCormick is the Telegraph's chief rock music critic. He is a best-selling author and a television and radio pundit. His memoir of a misspent youth as a failed rock star has been filmed as 'Killing Bono' (out in April). You can follow him on twitter @neil_mccormick.

Hmm. One of the greatest songwriters and premiere rock stars of the last forty years releases universally praised hit album the same year he headlines Glastonbury festival and is nominated for best International Male Solo Artist. Shocking, truly shocking. Did you know Bruce is over 21? Maybe that’s why Fearne hadn’t heard of him before.

In fact, there are no surprises in the Brits nominations list, as much as music critics (like myself) might want to grumble about the exclusion of personal favourites, and rampant populists might object to the apparent snub to the year’s best selling musical artist Susan Boyle. I think the confusion arises because nobody really understands the criteria. The Brits is essentially a popularity contest with a critical twist – what is the best of the music everybody has heard? Several critical articles I have read (notably on the NME and Guardian sites) have made reference to the perverse decisions of the Brits panel, but, in fact, there is no panel, no smoky back rooms where cabals of music executives divide up the prizes. The Brits is voted on by an Academy (like the Baftas and Oscars), which is made up of 1,000 individuals working in the music business. Including me, although I often wonder why I bother, since my own tastes are rarely reflected in the list. We don’t meet, we don’t discuss, we just fill in a form. The Voting Academy is apparently split into 14 sectors ranging from retailers, concert promoters, publishers, managers, NUS Ents officers, Producers, Indie labels, Press, TV & Radio and The Musicians Union. And though there have been dark rumours of major labels ensuring all their members vote in unison, their capacity to influence the outcome is minimal, since all together the majors represent only 12% of the overall vote (and presumably they would be voting against each other, thus essentially cancelling themselves out).

What we really see at the Brit awards is the inevitable flattening effect of such a large and diverse group of voters. Casting a wide net gives a strong advantage to artists everyone has heard of, so there is an inevitable bias towards the year’s big sellers. But there is also, I think, a genuine desire to reward excellence, which creates a subtle bias towards artists who have been positively critically received. And that essentially is the Brits: a parade of big sellers with at least a modicum of credibility.

This year’s Brits list was pretty much what I expected. Its always going to be full of unlikely bedfellows, like indie electro shoegazers Friendly Fires rubbing shoulders with the X Factor boy band JLS in British Breakthrough Act, but that is a reflection of the schizoid multiverse of pop culture. For the most part, its made up of artistically credible commercial acts, such as Bats For Lashes, Florence & The Machine, La Roux, Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Paolo Nutini, Doves, Muse and Kasabian from the UK, and Lady GaGa, Norah Jones, Rihanna, Shakira, Springsteen, Eminem and Jay Z on the international side. And very nice to see acknowledgement for leading leftfield acts who had a big year, such as Animal Collective, Friendly Fires, Seasick Steve and Ladyhawke.

As for the absence of SuBo … well, she’s a big seller, but critically reviled and with a fan base that really exists outside of the music world. I bet few of the 1000 strong academy has even heard her album, unless they had to work it. On the other hand, I bet quite a few of them have got that Bruce Springsteen album. It’s really rather good. Maybe if Fearne Cotton asks very nicely, someone at the BBC will lend her a copy.